Atlas Venturehttp://www.atlasventure.com
Early stage life sciences and tech venture capitalTue, 31 Mar 2015 17:24:05 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1Technology Supports Victims of Boston Marathon Bombingshttp://www.atlasventure.com/press-releases/technology-supports-victims-of-boston-marathon-bombings/
http://www.atlasventure.com/press-releases/technology-supports-victims-of-boston-marathon-bombings/#commentsTue, 16 Apr 2013 10:18:02 +0000http://www.atlasventure.com/?p=698Please join TUGG and the technology community in supporting those impacted by the bombing at this year’s Boston Marathon. All proceeds will be donated completely to programs working with victims of the attacks including Red Cross, Children’s Hospital, and others. This is a terrible injustice and we are proud to stand as a community to help repair the lives of those who have been hurt.

]]>http://www.atlasventure.com/press-releases/technology-supports-victims-of-boston-marathon-bombings/feed/0Chris Lynch Joins Atlas Venturehttp://www.atlasventure.com/uncategorized/chris-lynch-joins-atlas-venture/
http://www.atlasventure.com/uncategorized/chris-lynch-joins-atlas-venture/#commentsWed, 16 May 2012 11:31:58 +0000http://www.atlasventure.com/?p=558Cambridge, Massachusetts – May 16, 2012 - Atlas Venture announced today that serial entrepreneur Christopher Lynch has joined its investment team. Lynch, who was previously an entrepreneur-in-residence at Atlas, has a track record of success building and running companies from inception to global market leadership. He will concentrate on investment opportunities in Big Data and next-generation infrastructure innovation.

“Chris is the perfect complement to our team,” said Jeff Fagnan of Atlas Venture. “He has been a force in the Boston technology community for years and we are thrilled to have him join us.”

Prior to joining Atlas, Chris was CEO of Vertica Systems, where he led the company from late-stage startup to the number one ranked Big Data company in the market and its acquisition by HP in March of 2011. Prior to Vertica, Chris was SVP of Data Solutions at F5 Networks and was responsible for building the company’s vision in the data management space — a role he took on after the acquisition of Acopia Networks where he was President & CEO. Prior to Acopia, Lynch was VP of Sales and Marketing for Cisco’s Content Management business post Cisco’s $5.7B acquisition of Arrowpoint Communications where he led sales and marketing globally. Chris’ track record of success continues back through Lucent which acquired Prominet, Bay Networks, Wellfleet Communications and Digital.

“After working with Atlas over the years and witnessing first-hand the team’s entrepreneur-centric approach to investment and company development, it became clear this was a natural fit for me,” said Lynch. “I’m looking forward to working with the team to identify, fund, and develop the next-generation of leading tech companies and entrepreneurs and to be part of the firm’s momentum.”

Chris is an advisor to many Boston-area startups and is a mentor to many of the region’s entrepreneurs. He is currently on the Board of Hack/Reduce, a newly formed non-profit community space for developers in Cambridge; Chairman of Hadapt, a developer of Cloud-based adaptive analytical platform; and on the Board of Azuki Systems. Chris has also angel invested in several local companies including: Kinvey, PowerInbox, Mortar Data, and Solano Labs.

“Chris’ energy, enthusiasm, and willingness to help people succeed are well known in the Boston tech scene,” said Bob Brennan, CEO of Veracode and former CEO of Iron Mountain. “He is a proven entrepreneur and, with Atlas as his platform, he will quickly deepen his impact on the market.”

About Atlas Venture

Atlas Venture is an early-stage venture capital firm based in Cambridge, Massachusetts that invests in technology and life sciences innovation. For more information, visit www.atlasventure.com.

]]>http://www.atlasventure.com/uncategorized/chris-lynch-joins-atlas-venture/feed/0GlaxoSmithKline to acquire Cellzome for £61 millionhttp://www.atlasventure.com/press-releases/glaxosmithkline-to-acquire-cellzome-for-61-million/
http://www.atlasventure.com/press-releases/glaxosmithkline-to-acquire-cellzome-for-61-million/#commentsTue, 15 May 2012 11:38:37 +0000http://www.atlasventure.com/?p=560London, UK — May 15, 2012 – GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK) today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire those shares it does not currently own in Cellzome, a leader in the development and advancement of proteomics technologies, for £61 million (US$99 million) in cash. Cellzome, a privately owned company with laboratories in Cambridge, UK, and Heidelberg, Germany, will become part of GSK’s R&D organisation.

Cellzome’s proteomics technologies can be used throughout drug discovery from screening to selectivity profiling of compounds in different cells and also in patient samples. The technologies that Cellzome has developed differ from other traditional methods used in early drug discovery by assessing drug interactions with target proteins in a setting which more closely represents that found in a whole biological system. This allows scientists the opportunity to observe how candidate drugs affect both intended and non-desired targets in a close-to-physiological environment and may pinpoint potential safety issues earlier in the process.

“The acquisition of Cellzome adds significantly to our scientific capabilities and capacity to characterise drug targets and provides the opportunity to further enhance GSK’s ability to bring medicines to patients in a more effective manner,” said John Baldoni, senior vice president, Platform & Technology Science, at GSK.

The acquisition of Cellzome by GSK supports the company’s R&D strategy of collaborating with external partners and seeking out the best science, wherever it may be. This is the third platform technology acquisition since 2007 and highlights the company’s growing expertise in the scientific platforms upon which new medicines are discovered, developed and readied for manufacture. In 2007, GSK acquired two platform technology companies — Domantis Ltd, a leader in developing the next generation of antibody therapies, and Praecis, a Massachusetts-based company that created novel therapeutic programs and an innovative chemical-synthesis and screening technology.

Acquisition of Cellzome will give GSK a state-of-the-art, proteomic mass spectrometry and screening capability, enabling greater knowledge of drug targets and their interactions with compounds in the early phases of drug discovery. Through the use of this technology, GSK believes it can reduce attrition of potential new medicines during the development phase.

GSK and Cellzome have two active early stage research collaborations using these discovery capabilities within the immune-inflammation therapy area. With the acquisition, the technologies could be leveraged across GSK’s whole portfolio.

“We are pleased to announce this transaction, which will enable GSK to progress the technologies that we have been developing for more than a decade,” said Tim Edwards, chief executive officer of Cellzome. “This follows nearly four years of successful collaboration with GSK, during which time we demonstrated the value and breadth of the Cellzome platform for drug discovery.”

GSK, which currently owns a 19.98 percent equity interest in Cellzome, will assume full control of the company. Simultaneous with the acquisition, Cellzome shareholders, including GSK, intend to create a spin-off company, which would hold the rights to certain of Cellzome’s assets and activities that GSK does not wish to progress. The acquisition is not subject to any third party approvals and is anticipated to complete on 21 May 2012.

Platform Technology & Science at GSK

Platform Technology & Science provides deep scientific expertise and core technologies and services, supporting the full range of GSK drug discovery and development, and spanning early phase scientific exploration through preclinical and late stage development.

GlaxoSmithKline – one of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies – is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. For further information please visit www.gsk.com

]]>http://www.atlasventure.com/press-releases/glaxosmithkline-to-acquire-cellzome-for-61-million/feed/0Biogen Idec to Acquire Stromedixhttp://www.atlasventure.com/uncategorized/biogen-idec-to-acquire-stromedix/
http://www.atlasventure.com/uncategorized/biogen-idec-to-acquire-stromedix/#commentsTue, 14 Feb 2012 13:51:57 +0000http://www.atlasventure.com/?p=527WESTON and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., February 14, 2012 – Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) and Stromedix, Inc. today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Biogen Idec will acquire Stromedix Inc., a privately held biotechnology company focused on innovative therapies for fibrosis and organ failure. Under the terms of the agreement, Biogen Idec will make an upfront cash payment of $75 million and additional contingent value payments of up to $487.5 million based on the achievement of certain development and approval milestones across multiple indications.

Stromedix’s lead candidate, STX-100, is a novel humanized monoclonal antibody that selectively disrupts the TGF-beta pathway, which plays a central role in fibrotic disease. STX-100 exhibited significant anti fibrotic activity in preclinical animal models of fibrotic disease and demonstrated an attractive safety and tolerability profile in a Phase 1 trial. Stromedix has also identified a series of clinical biomarkers that reflects the biological activity of STX-100. STX-100 is entering a Phase 2 trial in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a debilitating and almost uniformly fatal disease in which patients experience progressive difficulty breathing due to fibrosis (scarring) of the lung. More than 200,000 patients in the United States and Europe have IPF, and there is no FDA-approved treatment for the disease at this time. STX-100 has potential in several additional fibrotic indications given its selective mechanism of action. In addition to STX-100, Stromedix has a preclinical compound that may have utility for the treatment of injury due to inflammation.

“Fibrotic organ failure, and in particular IPF, is a terrible disease with a high mortality rate, and there are no effective treatments at this time,” said Douglas E. Williams, EVP, R&D of Biogen Idec. “We believe STX-100 has the potential to be a best-in-class therapy and it is an excellent strategic fit with our focus on highly differentiated programs with the potential to make a real difference for patients. The Phase 2 program complements our scientific expertise and advances our research and development efforts in immunology. We are pleased to welcome Mike and his team back to Biogen Idec to drive STX-100’s continued development. Their work in advancing STX-100 through Phase 1 and developing biomarkers to inform upcoming clinical trials increases the likelihood of bringing a much-needed therapy to patients. This acquisition brings together our scientific strengths and capabilities with a clear goal of providing highly effective
therapies to patients suffering from fibrosis.”

“With a well-established understanding of the fundamental biology and tremendous unmet medical need, fibrosis is one of the most exciting and dynamic areas of drug development today,” said Michael Gilman, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Stromedix, who, before founding Stromedix, led Biogen Idec’s research organization from 2000 to 2005. “We appreciate Biogen Idec’s focus in immunology and their tremendous international R&D and commercial capabilities. By joining forces, we expect to accelerate the development of STX-100 and other promising early-stage drug candidates. This begins a new chapter for all of us at Stromedix, and we look forward to a bright future as part of Biogen Idec.”

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.

About Fibrosis and Organ Failure
Fibrosis is wound repair gone awry. It results from the body’s attempt to repair chronic tissue injury. Ongoing cycles of injury and repair, often playing out over decades, lead to accumulation of scar tissue in affected organs and disruption of normal tissue architecture and function. Ultimately, the organ fails. Fibrosis is the final common pathway in virtually all forms of chronic organ failure, including kidney, liver and lung, and affects tens of millions of patients in the United States. Nearly 45 percent of all deaths in the developed world are attributable to some type of chronic fibrotic disease. Moreover, the biology of fibrosis is similar regardless of cause – viral, chemical, physical or inflammatory. Fibrosis results from the excessive activity of fibroblasts, in particular a differentiated form known as the myofibroblast. The biology of these cells is well understood, and there is a consensus among experts that pharmacological attenuation of myofibroblast activity ought to slow or perhaps even reverse disease progression, thereby preserving organ function and prolonging a healthy life.

About STX-100
STX-100 is a novel, humanized monoclonal antibody that selectively targets integrin αvβ6. STX-100 binds to αvβ6, preventing αvβ6 from binding to latent (or inactive) TGFβ complex and converting it to active TGFβ, the central driver of fibrosis. STX-100 has exhibited significant anti-fibrotic activity in preclinical animal models. In August 2010, the FDA granted orphan drug designation to STX-100 for the treatment of IPF. Stromedix has completed a Phase 1 clinical trial of STX-100 and is currently initiating a Phase 2 trial in patients with IPF. Stromedix believes that STX-100 has potential therapeutic application across a broad number of fibrotic diseases.

About Biogen Idec
Through cutting-edge science and medicine, Biogen Idec discovers, develops and delivers to patients worldwide innovative therapies for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, hemophilia and autoimmune disorders. Founded in 1978, Biogen Idec is the world’s oldest independent biotechnology company. Patients worldwide benefit from its leading multiple sclerosis therapies, and the company generates more than $5 billion in annual revenues. For product labeling, press releases and additional information about the company, please visit www.biogenidec.com.

About Stromedix
Stromedix is a privately held biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, focused on innovative therapies for fibrosis and organ failure. Stromedix’s investors include Atlas Venture, New Leaf Venture Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, Red Abbey Venture Partners, and Frazier Healthcare. For more information on Stromedix, please visit www.stromedix.com.

Biogen Idec Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements about product development and commercialization. These forward-looking statements may be accompanied by such words as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “will” and other words and terms of similar meaning. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Drug development and commercialization involve a high degree of risk. Factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from our current expectations include the risk that adverse safety events may occur, regulatory authorities may require additional information or may fail to approve any potential new therapy, reimbursement for our products may be limited or unavailable, we may encounter problems with our manufacturing processes, we may be unable to adequately protect our intellectual property rights, and the other risks and uncertainties that are described in the Risk Factors section of our most recent annual or
quarterly report and in other reports Biogen Idec Inc. has filed with the SEC. These statements are based on current beliefs and expectations and speak only as of the date of this press release. We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements.
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]]>http://www.atlasventure.com/uncategorized/biogen-idec-to-acquire-stromedix/feed/0Celgene to Acquire Avila Therapeuticshttp://www.atlasventure.com/press-releases/celgene-to-acquire-avila-therapeutics/
http://www.atlasventure.com/press-releases/celgene-to-acquire-avila-therapeutics/#commentsFri, 03 Feb 2012 15:36:33 +0000http://www.atlasventure.com/?p=523SUMMIT,NJ and BEDFORD, MA – January 26, 2012 – Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ:CELG) and Avila Therapeutics, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company developing targeted covalent drugs that treat diseases through protein silencing, today announced a definitive merger agreement under which Celgene Corporation will acquire Avila Therapeutics, Inc.
The acquisition positions Celgene to expand its leading role in the future treatment of hematologic cancers with Avila’s AVL-292, a highly-selective Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (Btk) inhibitor, currently in phase I clinical development. In addition, Avila’s proprietary Avilomics™ Platform augments Celgene’s investment in the discovery and development of novel therapeutics for managing complex disorders.
“Avila Therapeutics is a remarkable company that is aligned with our commitment to improve the lives of patients worldwide through innovative science and disease-altering therapies,” said Tom Daniel, M.D., President of Research and Early Development for Celgene Corporation. “In particular, we see Avila’s unique approach to protein silencing as an area of great promise for our research initiatives in hematology, oncology and immune-inflammatory diseases.”

“Celgene and Avila are uniquely matched, both strategically and scientifically,” said Katrine Bosley, Avila’s Chief Executive Officer. “Celgene’s global leadership in hematology and emerging franchise in immune-inflammatory diseases will accelerate and expand the clinical development of our Btk inhibitor program. Equally important, we value the high standards of creativity and rigor of Celgene’s scientists. We believe working together may accelerate the advancement of more innovative medicines from the Avilomics platform.”

The transaction has been approved by the Board of Directors of each company and is subject to customary closing conditions, including the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976. Under the terms of the merger agreement, Celgene will acquire Avila Therapeutics, Inc. for $350 million in cash, plus up to $195 million for milestones contingent upon the development and regulatory approval of AVL-292, as w ell as up to $380 million in potential milestone payments contingent upon the development and approval of candidates generated from the Avilomics platform. The acquisition of Avila Therapeutics, Inc. will be accounted for as a p urchase transaction that Celgene expects to be completed during the first quarter of 2012. The Company anticipates the acquisition will be neutral to 2012 non-GAAP diluted earnings guidance.

About Celgene
Celgene Corporation, headquartered in Summit, New Jersey, is an integrated global biopharmaceutical company engaged primarily in the discovery, development and commercialization of novel therapies for the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases through gene and protein regulation. For more information, please visit the company’s Web site
at www.celgene.com.
About Avila Therapeutics™, Inc.
Avila Therapeutics is a clinical‐stage biotechnology company focused on t he design and development of targeted covalent drugs to achieve best‐in class outcomes. The company’s product pipeline has been built using its proprietary Avilomics™ platform and is currently focused on c ancer, viral infection and autoimmune disease. Avila’s most advanced product candidate, AVL‐292, a potential treatment for cancer and autoimmune diseases, is currently in Phase 1 clinical testing. Avila is funded by leading venture capital firms: Abingworth, Advent Venture Partners, Atlas Venture, Novartis Option Fund, and Polaris Venture Partners. For additional information, please visit http://www.avilatx.com.

About AVL‐292 and Bruton’s Tyrosine Kinase (Btk)
AVL‐292 is a novel, orally available, covalent drug that inhibits Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (Btk). Inhibition of Btk is a promising new approach to treatment of diseases that are driven by B cells, including certain hematologic cancers such as non‐Hodgkin’s lymphoma and B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. AVL‐292 selectively and covalently bonds to Btk to inactivate and silence its activity. This mechanism of action confers greater target selectivity and a longer duration of action than is typical of conventional small molecule drugs. In preclinical studies, AVL‐292 was efficacious in a variety of animal disease models. AVL‐292 is in clinical development and has successfully completed two Phase 1a clinical studies to date.

About Targeted Covalent Drugs
Targeted covalent drugs are new small-molecule medicines that have the unique opportunity not simply to inhibit disease-causing proteins, but to “silence” them completely. This is because targeted covalent drugs do not merely “bind” to a protein, but they form a durable “bond,” which shuts down the protein’s activity throughout the life of the protein leading to two primary benefits; precise selectivity and retained efficacy against mutations. Avila is the first company to
design and develop targeted covalent drugs robustly, systematically and across the vast majority of target classes. This is enabled by Avila’s proprietary Avilomics™ platform.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, which are generally statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the words “expects,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “intends,” “estimates,” “plans,” “will,” “outlook” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current plans, estimates, assumptions and projections, and speak only as of the date they are made. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement in light of new information or future events, except as otherwise required by law. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and are generally beyond our control. Actual results or outcomes may differ materially from those implied by the forward-looking statements as a result of the impact of a number of factors, many of which are discussed in more detail in
our Annual Report on Form 10-K and our other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
# # #

]]>http://www.atlasventure.com/press-releases/celgene-to-acquire-avila-therapeutics/feed/0Mindspeed Technologies to Acquire PicoChiphttp://www.atlasventure.com/uncategorized/mindspeed-technologies-to-acquire-picochip/
http://www.atlasventure.com/uncategorized/mindspeed-technologies-to-acquire-picochip/#commentsSun, 22 Jan 2012 19:31:16 +0000http://www.atlasventure.com/?p=514NEWPORT BEACH, CA — January 5, 2012 – Mindspeed Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: MSPD), a leading supplier of semiconductor solutions for network infrastructure applications, today announced that it is has signed a definitive agreement to acquire U.K.-based Picochip Limited, a leading supplier of integrated system-on-chip (SoC) solutions for small cell base stations, for a purchase price of approximately $51.8 million, plus a potential earnout payment of up to $25 million payable in the first calendar quarter of 2013.

The expected acquisition will create the clear market leader in small cell base station solutions for next generation mobile broadband communications infrastructure, an explosive growth market. Research firm Mobile Experts LLC predicts small cell base station shipments will grow to 24 million units by 2016, creating a market for alternative cells, which could exceed the macrocell market in terms of transceiver unit shipments during the next four years.

Together, Mindspeed and Picochip will offer the most comprehensive portfolio of base station semiconductor solutions on the market, from residential to enterprise to pico/metro applications. Through this timely combination, Mindspeed’s enhanced product roadmap for single- and multi-mode 3G/4G solutions will enable it to capitalize on the rapid acceleration of the small cell wireless base station market, while also addressing comprehensive support for all 3G and 4G global air interface standards. Management estimates the total addressable market for the combined entity will grow to $3.0 billion by 2016. Management also believes technology synergies, operational synergies and opportunities for cross-selling products within each company’s customer base are substantial.

For Picochip, Mindspeed will pay cash of $27.5 million and approximately 5.19 million in new shares of Mindspeed common stock, amounting to approximately 15 percent of outstanding Mindspeed shares, for a total of $24.3 million, based upon the closing price of Mindspeed’s common stock on January 4, 2012. The cash portion of the initial purchase price will be financed in part with bank debt. The terms also include an earnout provision, whereby the purchase price can increase by up to $25 million, contingent on the achievement of certain milestones. The earnout, which is payable in the first calendar quarter of 2013, may be paid in cash, Mindspeed common stock or a combination thereof, at Mindspeed’s discretion.

The transaction has been approved by Mindspeed’s and Picochip’s boards of directors and is subject to certain closing conditions. The transaction is expected to close in the first calendar quarter of 2012. Mindspeed currently expects the acquisition, inclusive of anticipated synergies, to be accretive to non-GAAP earnings per share in the second half of calendar 2012.

“Our acquisition of Picochip establishes our position as a global leader in wireless infrastructure semiconductor solutions for next generation mobile broadband communications,” said Raouf Y. Halim, chief executive officer of Mindspeed. “It is a great strategic fit for several reasons. First, it positions Mindspeed as the clear leader in small cell base station technology with the industry’s broadest small cell product offering, addressing a significantly expanded market opportunity of $3.0 billion by 2016. Second, it enhances our competitive position as we join our respective 3G/4G technologies to offer single- and multi-mode solutions that we believe will provide us a time-to-market and product performance advantage relative to competitors. Third, it gives us the scale to lead the industry’s move toward fixed/mobile broadband convergence; a trend which we believe will drive revenue and earnings growth for Mindspeed in the future.”

Nigel Toon, chief executive officer and president of Picochip, stated, “Mindspeed is the ideal acquirer for us. Together, we have valuable technology and customer synergies, given Picochip’s carrier-qualified 3G wireless technology leadership with over 70 percent market share in 3G/high-speed packet access (HSPA) and Mindspeed’s proven pathway as the long-term evolution (LTE) small cell pioneer with the Transcede® product family. Our combined resources create one of the largest SoC development groups in the wireless infrastructure sector with complementary intellectual property scale and expertise to deliver the solutions that this fast-moving market demands.”

]]>http://www.atlasventure.com/uncategorized/mindspeed-technologies-to-acquire-picochip/feed/0Atlas Venture and Shire Enter Alliance to Invest in Innovative Early-Stage Rare Disease Therapieshttp://www.atlasventure.com/press-releases/atlas-venture-and-shire-enter-alliance-to-invest-in-innovative-early-stage-rare-disease-therapies/
http://www.atlasventure.com/press-releases/atlas-venture-and-shire-enter-alliance-to-invest-in-innovative-early-stage-rare-disease-therapies/#commentsThu, 15 Dec 2011 14:32:09 +0000http://www.atlasventure.com/?p=494CAMBRIDGE, MASS, December 15, 2011–Atlas Venture has entered into a multi-year collaboration with Shire Human Genetic Therapies (“Shire”) to explore investment opportunities in early-stage rare disease therapeutics.
Shire and Atlas will work together to identify strategic investments for early stage venture creation around rare genetic diseases. The partnership leverages Shire’s capabilities and knowledge in the research and development of rare diseases with Atlas’ expertise in the formation and growth of early stage companies. .

“As a leader in rare diseases, this partnership is another way for Shire to ensure that we expand into new disease areas and continue to apply cutting edge technologies in this space,” said Philip J. Vickers, Senior Vice President, Research and Development, Shire. “Working with an organization like Atlas provides us with a new source of external expertise that is complementary to our internal capabilities and has a clear focus on Shire’s goal of bringing innovative therapies to patients suffering from rare diseases worldwide.”

The creative alliance structure provides an opportunity early in the venture process to utilize all of Shires capabilities in rare diseases from research to commercialization, while leveraging the extensive Atlas network and experience in company formation. Under the agreement, professionals from both Shire and Atlas will be dedicated to work closely together to advance the collaboration effort.

“The partnership with Shire is truly synergistic and leverages our individual strengths to create and fund new startups around high potential medical science early in the R&D cycle,” said Dr. Bruce Booth, Atlas Venture partner. “There is an unmet need for the discovery and development of rare disease therapeutics and we are pleased to partner with a leader in this space.”

Additional terms of the agreement are not being disclosed.

About Atlas Venture

Atlas Venture is a leading early-stage international venture capital firm that invests in technology and life sciences businesses. Since inception in 1980, its partners have helped build over 350 companies in more than 16 different countries. For more information visit Atlas’ website at www.atlasventure.com.

About Shire PLC

Shire’s strategic goal is to become the leading specialty biopharmaceutical company that focuses on meeting the needs of the specialist physician. Shire focuses its business on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, human genetic therapies, gastrointestinal diseases and regenerative medicine as well as opportunities in other therapeutic areas to the extent they arise through acquisitions. Shire’s in-licensing, merger and acquisition efforts are focused on products in specialist markets with strong intellectual property protection and global rights. Shire believes that a carefully selected and balanced portfolio of products with strategically aligned and relatively small-scale sales forces will deliver strong results. For further information on Shire, please visit the Company’s website: www.shire.com.

“SAFE HARBOR” STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995
Statements included herein that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time. In the event such risks or uncertainties materialize, the Company’s results could be materially adversely affected. The risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks associated with: the inherent uncertainty of research, development, approval, reimbursement, manufacturing and commercialization of the Company’s Specialty Pharmaceuticals, Human Genetic Therapies and Regenerative Medicine products, as well as the ability to secure new products for commercialization and/or development; government regulation of the Company’s products; the Company’s ability to manufacture its products in sufficient quantities to meet demand; the impact of competitive therapies on the Company’s products; the Company’s ability to register, maintain and enforce patents and other intellectual property rights relating to its products; the Company’s ability to obtain and maintain government and other third-party reimbursement for its products; and other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

San Diego-based Qualcomm, a major developer and licensor of mobile technology, quietly scooped up Pixtronix last week. The Andover company, founded in 2005, has been working on multimedia display screens for phones, tablets, and laptops that would use just one-quarter of the power of today’s liquid crystal displays. With today’s mobile devices, the display is typically the component that uses the most power.

Pixtronix and Qualcomm had been pursuing different approaches to low-power displays, according to this 2009 New York Times piece, but both incorporated MEMS (microelectro-mechanical system) technology; in Pixtronix’s case, thousands of tiny shutters control the light emitted by LED bulbs.

Pixtronix had raised just north of $50 million in funding from investors like Atlas Venture of Cambridge and Silicon Valley based Kleiner Perkins. Neither Qualcomm nor Pixtronix would comment on the acquisition price, but sources close to the deal tell me it was in the neighborhood of $175 million to $200 million.

Pixtronix has 45 employees, and Mark Halfman, the company’s senior director of business development, says they’ll remain in Andover. “We’ll continue to focus on developing and licensing our technology,” Halfman says. The company’s technology isn’t yet in the market, Halfman says, but the company has announced joint development projects with companies like Hitachi Displays and Taiwan-based CMI. Halfman says that Pixtronix CEO Tony Zona plans to stick around. (One year is always a safe bet…)

]]>http://www.atlasventure.com/uncategorized/qualcomm-acquires-pixtronix/feed/0Verizon Acquires CloudSwitchhttp://www.atlasventure.com/press-releases/verizon-acquires-cloudswitch/
http://www.atlasventure.com/press-releases/verizon-acquires-cloudswitch/#commentsThu, 25 Aug 2011 15:21:02 +0000http://www.atlasventure.com/?p=465NEW YORK- August 25, 2011 -Verizon Communications Inc. announced today that it has acquired CloudSwitch, an innovative provider of cloud software technology, in a deal that will simplify the move to the enterprise cloud and help to boost industry adoption. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Verizon plans to combine CloudSwitch, a privately held company based in Burlington, Mass., with its Terremark IT services subsidiary, further accelerating the company’s global cloud strategy by enhancing Verizon’s hybrid cloud and cloud-to-cloud capabilities.

CloudSwitch brings Verizon breakthrough software that enables enterprises to more easily and securely move applications, or workloads, between company data centers and the cloud without changing the application or the infrastructure layer – eliminating a key barrier to widespread cloud adoption.

With CloudSwitch’s technology, enterprises gain new flexibility and greater control in moving to and from the cloud, while extending security over applications and data. In addition, enterprise applications remain tightly integrated and can be managed as if they are running locally. When combined with Terremark’s advanced IT and security capabilities, this technology further enables total enterprise-class cloud solutions (private-to-public, public-to-public and hybrid) across the globe.

“The cloud market is a rapidly growing opportunity, with very real benefits both for our business customers and the consumers they serve,” said Bob Toohey, president of Verizon’s global enterprise unit. “With the acquisition of CloudSwitch, Verizon has taken another step forward in defining the enterprise cloud.”

John McEleney, CEO of CloudSwitch, said: “By joining Verizon, we will be able to deliver a solution that combines our software with the market-leading infrastructure cloud play. Our founding vision has always been to create a seamless and secure federation of cloud environments across enterprise data centers and global cloud services. Together, we will be able to provide enterprises with an unmatched level of flexibility, scalability and control in the cloud with point-and-click simplicity. This will go a long way in helping achieve widespread adoption of the cloud especially when managing complex workloads.”

Verizon, through its Terremark subsidiary, offers advanced enterprise-class IT, cloud and security services on a global scale. Terremark provides customers with the ability to improve IT infrastructure and boost application performance in today’s complex and dynamic business environment. Visit the Verizon IT Solutions & Hosting website for more information.

About CloudSwitch
CloudSwitch delivers the enterprise gateway to the cloud. CloudSwitch’s innovative software appliance enables enterprises to run their applications in the right cloud computing environment—securely, simply and without changes. With CloudSwitch, applications remain tightly integrated with enterprise data center tools and policies, and can be moved easily between different cloud environments and back into the data center based on the requirements of the business. For more information about CloudSwitch, please visit www.cloudswitch.com and follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cloudswitchcom.

About Verizon
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, NASDAQ:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to consumer, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America’s most reliable wireless network, with more than 106 million total connections nationwide. Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America’s most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers in more than 150 countries, including all of the Fortune 500. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of nearly 196,000 and last year generated consolidated revenues of $106.6 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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]]>http://www.atlasventure.com/press-releases/verizon-acquires-cloudswitch/feed/0Horizon Pharma Prices IPOhttp://www.atlasventure.com/uncategorized/horizon-pharma-prices-ipo/
http://www.atlasventure.com/uncategorized/horizon-pharma-prices-ipo/#commentsThu, 28 Jul 2011 21:18:44 +0000http://www.atlasventure.com/?p=458NORTHBROOK, IL. – July 28, 2011 – Horizon Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: HZNP) today announced the pricing of its initial public offering of 5,500,000 shares of common stock at a price to the public of $9.00 per share. Horizon’s common stock is scheduled to begin trading on The NASDAQ Global Market on July 28, 2011 under the symbol “HZNP.” Horizon has also granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 825,000 shares at the initial public offering price to cover overallotments, if any.
Stifel Nicolaus Weisel, Cowen and Company and JMP Securities LLC are acting as joint bookrunners for the offering.

A registration statement relating to these securities was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 28, 2011. The offering of these securities is being made only by means of a prospectus, copies of which may be obtained from: Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, One Montgomery Street, Suite 3700, San Francisco, California 94104, or by calling (415) 364-2720; Cowen and Company, LLC c/o Broadridge Financial Services, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY,11717, Phone (631) 274-2806 / Fax (631) 254-7140; or JMP Securities LLC, 600 Montgomery Street, Suite 1100, San Francisco, CA 94111, or by calling (415) 835-8985 .

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities, nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction.

About Horizon Pharma
Horizon Pharma, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that is developing and commercializing innovative medicines to target unmet therapeutic needs in arthritis, pain and inflammatory diseases. For more information, please visit www.horizonpharma.com.